vpFREE2 Forums

annoying "out of service" rules in NOLA, and where to complain

#1

If you play at Harrah's New Orleans, you may have noticed an abnormally high number of machines that are out of service, especially on weekends. One of the major reasons is that NO allows 7* members to hold machines for up to 8 hours a day - far longer than usual rules which allow machines to be closed for a max of 2-3 hours while someone goes to dinner. Even more annoying is that at least 1, and often 2 of the 3 or so progressive VP machines is often being used or shut down for a single couple for astonishing lengths of time, ranging from days to weeks and even months (or so I'm told). Since both the husband and wife each can lock up a machine for 8 hours, one will play, then lock for meals, then one will lock up for sleep, and so on, so they keep the machine out of use for 24 hours a day to anyone but themselves. Sometimes they will put a note on a machine and leave.
Sometimes the wife will play one machine, the husband the other, and then lock 2 machines up. The wife's favorite (VP # G140624969) is basically either played by one of them or out of service for weekend after weekend after weekend for months and months.

I complained to a slot supervisor and a host and was told that management has received many complaints about this couple abusing the system, but does nothing about it (apparently because verbal complaints from supervisors don't make any impact, only written complaints from customers get noticed).

I don't know why management thinks that essentially making a machine "private" isn't going to annoy other players! And I'm doubtful that such an arrangement is even allowed by Lousiana's casino control commission. Nor does it make sense for Harrah's bottom line for this machine to be out of service for so many hours a day, while many other players would be happy to be on one of these high-demand progressives. (The royal usually doesn't get all that high in denomination, but since VP is extremely in demand in NOLA on weekends, and since people love progressives of any sort, there are always people looking to play them -- but of course, only this one couple gets the chance for 1 of the machines they keep locked up.)

At any rate, it is about time some people complained in writing about this unfair situation, since the "out of service" signs seem to be proliferating more and more in New Orleans. Due to the heavy demand for VP machines on weekends, which are always very busy, NOLA management should totally do away with the 8-hour holds on machines, and allow no one more than a 2-hour dinner grace period. Further, this abusive couple should not be allowed to block off a machine as their own private machine for days and weeks and literally months!

So here are the people to contact to complain, if this situation has gotten you annoyed:

Jim Hoskins, Senior VP and General Manager
John Payne, Central Division President (Hoskins boss)
Harrahs New Orleans
8 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 790130

and/or jhoskins@harrahs.com
           jpayne@harrahs.com

And of course Harrah's President Gary Loveman can be reached at talktogary@harrahs.com

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#2

Dont forget to use your cell phone camera and try to capture the cash tip that's passed off to the attendants for "hold overnight please" lockdowns. I'm taking the root cause of it ...these are AP's that are holding the only decent deuces games in the place ?
regards..Tom

···

----- Original Message ----- From: <misscraps@aol.com>
To: <harrahscasinos@yahoogroups.com>; <vpFREE@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2010 12:59 AM
Subject: [vpFREE] annoying "out of service" rules in NOLA, and where to complain

If you play at Harrah's New Orleans, you may have noticed an abnormally high number of machines that are out of service, especially on weekends. One of the major reasons is that NO allows 7* members to hold machines for up to 8 hours a day - far longer than usual rules which allow machines to be closed for a max of 2-3 hours while someone goes to dinner. Even more annoying is that at least 1, and often 2 of the 3 or so progressive VP machines is often being used or shut down for a single couple for astonishing lengths of time, ranging from days to weeks and even months (or so I'm told). Since both the husband and wife each can lock up a machine for 8 hours, one will play, then lock for meals, then one will lock up for sleep, and so on, so they keep the machine out of use for 24 hours a day to anyone but themselves. Sometimes they will put a note on a machine and leave.
Sometimes the wife will play one machine, the husband the other, and then lock 2 machines up. The wife's favorite (VP # G140624969) is basically either played by one of them or out of service for weekend after weekend after weekend for months and months.

#3

It may be best to keep a low profile.
I have gambled there a few times and don't have a problem getting on a "good" machine. The three progressive machines are as you say.

The wife and her husband have a gambling problem. It's not that they do this when the progressive makes for an attractive play. They are there almost everyday from what locals say.

Harrah's is making $30/hour x 2 from these steady gamblers. Bringing their problem to management's attention can bring attention to the complainter.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, misscraps@... wrote:

If you play at Harrah's New Orleans, you may have noticed an abnormally high number of machines that are out of service, especially on weekends. One of the major reasons is that NO allows 7* members to hold machines for up to 8 hours a day - far longer than usual rules which allow machines to be closed for a max of 2-3 hours while someone goes to dinner. Even more annoying is that at least 1, and often 2 of the 3 or so progressive VP machines is often being used or shut down for a single couple for astonishing lengths of time, ranging from days to weeks and even months (or so I'm told). >

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#4

I think Miss Craps referes to the wife, and to some extent her husband, that play the DDB progressives. Their not Pro's. IMO they are problem gambliers.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "tomflush" <tomflush@...> wrote:

Dont forget to use your cell phone camera and try to capture the cash tip
that's passed off to the attendants for "hold overnight please" lockdowns.
I'm taking the root cause of it ...these are AP's that are holding the only
decent deuces games in the place ?
regards..Tom

----- Original Message -----
From: <misscraps@...>
To: <harrahscasinos@yahoogroups.com>; <vpFREE@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2010 12:59 AM
Subject: [vpFREE] annoying "out of service" rules in NOLA, and where to
complain

>
> If you play at Harrah's New Orleans, you may have noticed an abnormally
> high number of machines that are out of service, especially on weekends.
> One of the major reasons is that NO allows 7* members to hold machines for
> up to 8 hours a day - far longer than usual rules which allow machines to
> be closed for a max of 2-3 hours while someone goes to dinner. Even more
> annoying is that at least 1, and often 2 of the 3 or so progressive VP
> machines is often being used or shut down for a single couple for
> astonishing lengths of time, ranging from days to weeks and even months
> (or so I'm told). Since both the husband and wife each can lock up a
> machine for 8 hours, one will play, then lock for meals, then one will
> lock up for sleep, and so on, so they keep the machine out of use for 24
> hours a day to anyone but themselves. Sometimes they will put a note on a
> machine and leave.
> Sometimes the wife will play one machine, the husband the other, and then
> lock 2 machines up. The wife's favorite (VP # G140624969) is basically
> either played by one of them or out of service for weekend after weekend
> after weekend for months and months.

#5

That applies to most self-described "pro's".

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "Dave" <haaljo@...> wrote:

I think Miss Craps referes to the wife, and to some extent her husband, that play the DDB progressives. Their not Pro's. IMO they are problem gambliers.

#6

Now I'm curious. What are they playing and how does this game combined with HET's meager CB( free play ? ) make this a positive game ?

  Larry F.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "mike" <melbedewy1226@...> wrote:

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "Dave" <haaljo@> wrote:
>
> I think Miss Craps referes to the wife, and to some extent her husband, that play the DDB progressives. Their not Pro's. IMO they are problem gambliers.

#7

Ummm...they're there pretty much every day of the year, and play many, many hours on those machines. Good luck getting them off of the game.

We're discussing access to a $ 9-6 DDB progressive with a half percent meter? (formerly 1%, before Katrina they also had a couple of 9-6 Jacks with 1% meters, some of those were strong plays).

Yes, in NOLA, 7* may lock up machines for up to 8 hours. I can tell you the best part of this; there has been team play on some of the machines in that area, players playing cards not their own-a big no-no with Harrahs, surveillance has it all on tape, and knows the team situation (two of them, neither local) yet nothing is done about it. So, that whole area has become a circus on the weekends, where there is inevitably some promo involving cash coupons. I gave up on NOLA last year. I can do without all the distractions, including people asking me the theo on the game while I'm playing and other people barking stuff into a cell phone from two feet away. It seems like the play there has been outed somewhere. All I see these days are husbands and wives with strategy cards playing $1 or $2 denom.

As for the machines (multi-line NSUD in h/l) that Tomflush is referring to, well, you can have them. Those are good for local play, but not for offers sent nationally. Although IIRC, a certain VP writer did very, very well playing them.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, misscraps@... wrote:

If you play at Harrah's New Orleans, you may have noticed an abnormally high number of machines that are out of service, especially on weekends. One of the major reasons is that NO allows 7* members to hold machines for up to 8 hours a day - far longer than usual rules which allow machines to be closed for a max of 2-3 hours while someone goes to dinner. Even more annoying is that at least 1, and often 2 of the 3 or so progressive VP machines is often being used or shut down for a single couple for astonishing lengths of time, ranging from days to weeks and even months (or so I'm told). Since both the husband and wife each can lock up a machine for 8 hours, one will play, then lock for meals, then one will lock up for sleep, and so on, so they keep the machine out of use for 24 hours a day to anyone but themselves. Sometimes they will put a note on a machine and leave.
Sometimes the wife will play one machine, the husband the other, and then lock 2 machines up. The wife's favorite (VP # G140624969) is basically either played by one of them or out of service for weekend after weekend after weekend for months and months.

I complained to a slot supervisor and a host and was told that management has received many complaints about this couple abusing the system, but does nothing about it (apparently because verbal complaints from supervisors don't make any impact, only written complaints from customers get noticed).

I don't know why management thinks that essentially making a machine "private" isn't going to annoy other players! And I'm doubtful that such an arrangement is even allowed by Lousiana's casino control commission. Nor does it make sense for Harrah's bottom line for this machine to be out of service for so many hours a day, while many other players would be happy to be on one of these high-demand progressives. (The royal usually doesn't get all that high in denomination, but since VP is extremely in demand in NOLA on weekends, and since people love progressives of any sort, there are always people looking to play them -- but of course, only this one couple gets the chance for 1 of the machines they keep locked up.)

At any rate, it is about time some people complained in writing about this unfair situation, since the "out of service" signs seem to be proliferating more and more in New Orleans. Due to the heavy demand for VP machines on weekends, which are always very busy, NOLA management should totally do away with the 8-hour holds on machines, and allow no one more than a 2-hour dinner grace period. Further, this abusive couple should not be allowed to block off a machine as their own private machine for days and weeks and literally months!

So here are the people to contact to complain, if this situation has gotten you annoyed:

Jim Hoskins, Senior VP and General Manager
John Payne, Central Division President (Hoskins boss)
Harrahs New Orleans
8 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 790130

and/or jhoskins@...
           jpayne@...

And of course Harrah's President Gary Loveman can be reached at talktogary@...

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

#8

Larry their play is seldom, if ever, positive. I have seen them on these machines for at least six trips. The progressives are almost always between $4,000 and $4,500. The play is not positive and I doubt their coupons are that generous. They like to play and do not want anyone else to hit "their" Royal.

RM

···

Now I'm curious. What are they playing and how does this game combined with HET's meager CB( free play ? ) make this a positive game ?

  Larry F.

#9

Have you observed them play? They must be such awful VP players it's
worth it to Harrah's.

I mean, any AP worth her salt would've been barred from doing this by now right?

···

On Fri, Mar 5, 2010 at 9:59 PM, <misscraps@aol.com> wrote:

If you play at Harrah's New Orleans, you may have noticed an abnormally high number of

#10

Their play is closer to breakeven than you think, although I've seen the wife's play, and there's quite a few holes in her strategy.

···

--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "RM" <royalmaker4000@...> wrote:

Larry their play is seldom, if ever, positive. I have seen them on these machines for at least six trips. The progressives are almost always between $4,000 and $4,500. The play is not positive and I doubt their coupons are that generous. They like to play and do not want anyone else to hit "their" Royal.

RM

> Now I'm curious. What are they playing and how does this game combined with HET's meager CB( free play ? ) make this a positive game ?
>
> Larry F.
>